MILWAUKEE – Marquette University redshirt senior Holly Mertens was named to the BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll for women’s volleyball Monday afternoon, marking the fourth time this season she has earned weekly recognition from the league.

Mertens helped the Golden Eagles (24-5, 13-2 BIG EAST) clinch the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, which they host Friday-Sunday at the Al McGuire Center, with a sweep of Notre Dame on Sunday afternoon. The Stanley, Wis., native averaged 4.00 kills per set in a loss at Louisville Friday and in Sunday’s victory over the Fighting Irish. The right-side hitter led Marquette in both contests with 13 kills and 11 kills, respectively.

Mertens earned BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time last week after helping the Golden Eagles to a pair of conference wins over UConn and St. John’s and a sweep of Milwaukee on Oct. 30. She was also named the national player of the week by the Collegiate Volleyball Update on Tuesday afternoon.

Marquette is receiving 38 points in Monday’s latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Poll, four spots outside the top 25. It also vaulted past Notre Dame to No. 33 in the NCAA Division I RPI rankings, its highest rank of the season.

The Golden Eagles will host the 2012 BIG EAST Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship at the Al McGuire Center on Friday, Nov. 16 through Sunday, Nov. 18. Marquette has earned the No. 2 seed and will face the No. 7-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers in the quarterfinals on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. Sunday’s title contest will be televised live on ESPNU at 1 p.m. CT.